Shoe



June 22, 1943.

SHOE

' Filed Sept. 4, 1942 A. L JALBERT 2,322,297

Patented June 22, 1943 sHoEv Adrien L. Jalbert, Haverhill, Mass., assignor to United Shoe lMachinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey` Application September 4, 1942, Serial No. 457,305

(Cl. :i6-8.5)

7 Claims.

.This invention relates to improvements in shoes and particularly to shoes having no outsoles in their shank portions. p I

. In most shoes the outsole extends beneath the shank portion of the shoe where it is arched more or less to conform to the arch of the foot. This arched shank portion of the outsole does not tread upon the ground and accordingly is not subjected to wear in the ordinary use of the shoe.

The present invention, as herein illustrated, isl

embodied in a shoe in the manufacture of which a substantial saving in sole leather is effected by the employment of a short outsole in the forepart only of the shoe, the outsole terminating rearwardly in the vicinity of the break-line between the forepart and shank portions of the shoe bottom. The illustrated shoe further comprises a full length insole, a shank stiffener which is secured tothe lowerlside oi the insole to stiien the shoe bottomy so as to provide adequate support for the arched portion of the foot, and an upper which is cut with a, greater width of lasting allowance than normal in its waist` or shank portion and is disposed so that said lasting. allowance underlies and covers the shankV portion of the insole throughout the entire width or substantially the entirev width of the latter, the edge portions of said margins beinglocated closely adjacent to one kanother beneath the longitudinally lcentral zone of the shank portion of the insole. In order to provide for the secure anchorage of these inner portions of the upper to the insole in spite of the presence of the shank stiffener between the insole and the upper, the shank stiffener is provided with a slot which extends lengthwise thereof and, in accordance with the present invention, the upper margins extend through this slot into engagement with the insole and are directly secured to the latter Within the boundaries of the slot as by means of suitable lasting fastenings. In this locality the opposed edges of the upper margins and the lastingffastenings, if the latter are employed, are concealed from View bymeans of a narrow covering strip which may bemade of plastic or other suitable material and is cemented or otherwise secured to the upper, the covering strip being sufliciently narrow to leave the upper exposed to :view outwardly of the lines of lasting fastenings.

' The invention willgbe explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective View of the shoe as it appears after part of the lasting operations have been performed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the shankv stiffener showing the upper side thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View of the shank portion of the shoe;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the completedy shoe; and

vFig. 5 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section of the completed shoe.

Referring to the drawing, my improved shoe comprises an insole la, an upper l2 having wider' kthan normal lasting margins Hl, l5 at opposite sides of its waist or shank portion which extend inwardly beneath the shank of the insole, their inner edges meeting or substantially meeting in the central median portion of the latter, a heel and. shank reinforcing piece i6, a shank stifener l 8 between the insole and the lasting margins or extensions l@ of the upper, a short outsole 2i) in the forepart only of the shoe,'a heel 2i, and a,

narrow covering strip 24 which extends along the central median Zone of the shank portion of the shoe bottom between the heel and the out-Y sole and conceals the meeting edges of the upper extensions i4. i

The insole l0 is a conventional unlipped insole of full length and it may be made of leather or any suitable leather substitute material. The upper i2 is cut with the usual amount of lasting margin around its forepart but with an excessive Width of lasting allowance in its shank portion to provide the shank extensions I4 for covering the shank portion of the insole and the shank stiffener. As shown, the upper is provided with alining and a counter stiffener l5 is employed between the upper and the lining. The shank stilener l 8, which preferably consists of a narrow strip of metal, is curved longitudinally to conform to the longitudinal bottom curvature of the arched portion of thevlast and it is formed with a central elongated slot 26 which extends lengthwise thereof for receiving the inner edge portions of the upper margins or extensions Hl in facetofface engagement with the insole and for receiving lasting fastenings 28 by means of which these margins may be secured to the insole. As shown,.'the shank stiffener I8 is provided at its rear extremity with lateral wings or extensions 30 which serve to support the stifiener against possibility of lateral or twisting displacement in'y the Vshank stiffene'r is properly located upon thev bottom of the insole and is iirmly secured in place' thereon as by means of tacks 34, two of which extend through the wings 30 of the shank stiffener, the points of the tacks being clenched against a metallic bottom plate on the last or suitable metallic inserts in the last bottom. The upper materials are then assembled with the insole on the last, the counter stiffener I is inserted between the upper and the lining, and the upper is pulled over in the usual way. The shank portion of the shoe is then lasted and the wide lasting margins I4, I4 are wiped inwardly over the insole and over the shank stilfener. The inner edge portions of these lasting margins are thus caused to overlie the slot 28 in the shank stiffener and they are secured to the insole by means of lasting fastenings 28 which are driven through the slot 26 and into the insole. Advantageously, after the upper margin I4' at o-ne side of the shoe has been lasted and secured by lasting fastenings to the insole, it is trimmed close to the line of fastenings and thereafter the opposite margin I4 is similarly lasted, secured to the insole and trimmed, the marginal portions of the upper then appearing as shown in Fig. 3 wherein it will be seen that the trimmed edge portions lie within the slot 26 in face-to-face engagement with the insole and are disposed somewhat below the plane of those portions of the upper which overlie the body of the shank stiffener. Thus, a channel or depression 29 is formed in the upper to receive the cover strip 24, the channel 29 being in line with the slot in the shank stiffener. The sides and toe portion of the forepart and the heel portion of the shoe are thereafter lasted as usual, the margins of the upper being secured in overlasted position upon the insole in the fo-repart by means of cement, as indicated at 36, and at the heel of the shoe as by means of tacks I1.

The covering strip 24, which may be made of any suitable finishing material, such as leather, leather substitute material, fabric or plastic material, may now be applied to the shank portion of the shoe bottom, the strip being cut sufficiently narrow to lie within the depression or channel 29 and being disposed with its forward edge in position to engage and advantageously tc be overlapped more or less by the rear portion of the short outsole. The covering strip 24 extends rearwardly into the heel seat of the shoe bottom so that the rear portion of the strip will be located between the heel and the insole. Preferably, the covering strip 24 is of such thickness that its outer surface will be substantially iiush with the adjacent outer surfaces of the upper margins I4, I 4. The covering strip may be secured to the upper by any suitable means, for example, by means of cement.

The short outsole 29 is died out or rounded to the shape of the forepart of the shoe bottom and inasmuch as the outsole has no shank extension it will not cover the shank portion of the shoe bottom except in the immediate vicinity of the break line between the shank and forepart thereof. The outsole 2@ is now laidand permanently attached to the overlasted upper margin in the forepart of the shoe by means of cement, the upper margin having been previously roughened to facilitate the securing of a irm bond be tween it and the outsole. The forward extremity of the covering strip 24, which, as shown, extends forwardly far enough to be overlapped by the outsole, may also be beveled, as indicatedv at 2 5 in Fig. 5, to be engaged by and cemented to a correspondingly beveled surface formed at the rear extremity of the outsole so that the front end of the covering strip will be securely held in place.

The last is now removed from the shoe and the heel 22 is attached, as by means of nails, one of which is sh-own at 36 in Fig. 5, the nails being driven from the inside of the shoe. After being attached the heel serves securely to anchor the rear portion of the covering strip 24.

The shank stiffener I8 provides adequate support for the arched shank portion of the shoe bottom while the slot in the stiifener enables the portions of the upper which underlie the shank portion of the insole and the body of the shank stiffener to be firmly secured in place by means of the lasting fastenings in the central median area of the shank portion of the shoe bottom. The covering strip 24 completely conceals the lasting fastenings and covers the joint between the adjacent edges of the upper margins and provides an attractive finishing band which contributes to the stylish appearance of the shoe bottom.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A shoe comprising an insole, a shank stiffener underlying the insole, said stiffener having a slot extending lengthwise thereof, an upper secured to the insole in the forepart of the shoe and having marginal portions extending inwardly from opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe and into said slot, said portions being secured in underlying engagement with the insole and the shank stiffener by means located inwardly of the edges of the slot, an outsole coextensive `with the forepart only of the shoe bottom, and

a narrow strip extending lengthwise of the shank portion of the shoe bottom, said strip covering the inner edges of said marginal portions of 'the upper, but leaving said portions exposed to view outwardly of the lateral edges of said slot.

A shoe comprising an insole having forepart and shank portions, a shank stlfener substantially narrower than the shank portion of the insole secured to the lower side of the insole, said stiffener having a slot therein extending substantially throughout the length of the shank portion of the insole, an upper having its margin secured in overlasted position upon the insole in the forepart of the shoe and having marginal extensions underlying the shank portion of the insole and said shank stiffener and extending into said slot, fastenings securing said upper extensions to said insole in localities inwardly of the edges of said slot, a covering strip secured to said upper extensions and concealing the inner edges of' said extensions and said fastenings, said strip extending lengthwise of the shoe and terminating forwardly substantially at the break line between the shank and forepart of the shoe bottom, and an outsole secured to the overlasted margin of the upper in the forepart of the shoe, said outsole terminating rearwardly at the forward extremity of said covering strip.

3. A shoe comprising an insole, a shank stiffener secured to the lower side of the shank portion of theV insole, said stifener having a slot therein extending substantially throughout the length of the shank portion of the shoe bottom, an upper secured to the insole in the forepart of the shoe and covering said stiffener in the shank portion of the shoe, said upper having marginal portions disposed in face-to-face engagement with the insole within the boundaries of said slot,

`break line between the forepart and the shank means securing said marginal portions of the upper to the insole, an outsole coextensive with the forepart only of the shoe bottom, and a covering strip secured to said marginal portions of the upper and having its outer surface flush with the adjacent exposed surfaces of the upper.

4. A shoe comprising an insole, a shank stiffener secured to the lower side of the shank portion of the insole, said stifiener having a slot therein extending substantially throughout the length of the shank portion of the shoe bottom, an upper secured to the insole in the forepart of the shoe and covering said stiffener in the shank portion of the shoe, said upper having marginal portions disposed in face-to-face engagement with the insole within the boundaries of said slot, fastenings extending through said slot and securing said marginal portions of the upper to the insole, an outsole terminating rearwardly substantially at the break line between the forepart and shank portion of the shoe bottom, a narrow strip secured by means of cement to the portions of the upper which lie within said slot/and covering the edges of the upper and said fastenings, said strip extending into the heel seat portion of the shoe bottom and having its forward extremity overlapped by the rear extremity of the outsole, and a heel overlying the rear extremity of said covering strip.

5. A shoe comprising an insole having a forepart and a shank portion, a relatively narrow shank stiiener centrally located beneath the insole, said stiffener having a slot extending substantially throughout the length of the shank portion of the insole, an upper secured in overlasted position upon the insole in the forepart of the shoe, said upper having portions extending inwardly from opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe and covering the shank stiifener and the portions of the insole outwardly of the shank stiiener and said portions having their inner margins disposed within said slot and oset above the adjacent parts of the upper so that a channel is formed in the upper in line with the slot in the shank stiffener, a short outsole secured to the upper in the forepart of the shoe, the outsole terminating rearwardly in the vicinity of the portion of the shoe bottom, and a plastic filler in said channel covering the offset portions of the upper but leaving exposed to view the portions of the upper at opposite sides of said channel.

6. A shoe comprising an insole, a shank, an upper secured to the margin of the insole in the forepart of the shoe, said upper having lasting margins of greater than normal width extending inwardly beneath the insole from opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe to the longitudinally central shank portion of the insole, lasting fastenings securing the inner portions of said lasting margins to the insole, an outsole coextensive with the orepart only of the shoe bottom, a heel, and a narrow strip secured to said lasting margins between the heel and the outsole, said strip covering said lasting fastenings and concealing from view the inner edges of said lasting margins.

'7. A shoe comprising a full length insole, a shank stifener having a slot extending lengthwise thereof, said stiffener being substantially narrower than the shank portion ofthe insole and being secured to the lower side of the insole and being located approximately in a transversely central position thereon, an upper having the lower margin of its forepart secured in overlasted position upon the margin of the insole and having marginal waist portions of greater than normal width underlying the insole at opposite sides o f the shank stiffener and covering the shank stiiener at opposite sides of said slot, said marginal portions also extending into said slot and being directly secured to said insole within the boundaries of the slot, a short outsole secured to the overlasted portions of the upper in the forepart of the shoe, the outsole terminating rearwardly in the vicinity of the break line between the forepart and the shank portion of the shoe bottom, a heel, and a narrow cover strip secured to the upper and extending from the heel to the rear extremity of the outsole, said strip covering only the portions of the upper located inwardly of the lateral edges of said slot.

ADRIEN L. JALBERT. 

